Ross is named service director for the school bus dealership in Jacksonville, Fla. He previously worked for the School District of Manatee County for more than 13 years in several positions, including director of transportation and vehicle maintenance.

The Jefferson County, Mo., districts will receive a total of $300,000 to equip school buses with emission-reducing equipment. The funding comes from lead producer Doe Run as part of an agreement with the EPA.

The company’s new partnership with Corghi USA provides the HD700 Tire Changer and the ET66 Wheel Balancer. Bee Line also recently partnered with PKS Equipment & Engineering to offer several types of vehicle lifts.

The manufacturer provides the Colorado Rack Test and the Kentucky Pole Test specifications — both of which pertain to structural integrity — as standard on its conventional and transit-style school buses.

At a Tennessee school, one bus had a broken window, and fire extinguishers had been removed from four buses and discharged inside one of them. A school resource officer develops information that leads to the arrest of three middle school students and one high school student.

The training was provided for Dallas County Schools’ technicians by Hydrotex, Stewart & Stevenson and Alternator Service. Officials say Hydrotex provided training on the principles of lubrication, Stewart & Stevenson provided training on Allison transmissions and Alternator Service provided instruction on a battery and charging system.

The IC Bus University classes will be held from June to August at the school bus manufacturer’s plant in Tulsa, Okla. The program aims to optimize service and maintenance proficiency and to broaden technician knowledge of IC Bus products.

The TRP Bus Parts catalog includes all-makes TRP aftermarket parts for school buses, motorcoaches and transit buses, in addition to name brand parts available from manufacturers such as Meritor, Bendix, Eaton, Webb and Leece-Neville. It can be downloaded from TRP’s website in a fully illustrated electronic format.

The MCH413 is smaller than Rotary Lift’s other Mach mobile column lifts — about a foot shorter and 150 lbs. lighter — and has a rated capacity of 13,000 lbs. per column. As a result, it also has a lower price.

Joe Funk takes over duties for inspecting school buses in the western region of the state. He joins inspector Verlan Vos and replaces Owen Freese, who recently retired from the position. A school bus inspection fee increase that is awaiting final approval will allow the Iowa Department of Education to hire one more inspector.

Tech-to-tech instruction and partnering with neighboring school districts for training exercises provide easy opportunities to develop employees’ skills and knowledge. Having good equipment and taking advantage of resources available through state pupil transportation associations are also worthwhile.

No one is injured in the blaze, but the Portland Public Schools bus sustains an estimated $35,000 in damage. The district says that an employee was patching the bus' seats using tape, liquid vinyl and a heat gun when the fire began.

Thomas Built Institute sessions will be held May 7-10 in Greensboro, N.C., and July 23-26 in Reno, Nev. Topics to be covered include emissions systems, advanced electrical, coolant, maintenance and cost savings, and utilizing websites, resources and wire diagrams.

For the 15th consecutive year, Highline Public Schools’ transportation department earns outstanding marks from the Washington State Patrol on its school bus safety inspection. Each year, the patrol conducts one scheduled inspection and one unannounced inspection.

The state Board of Education approves the proposal to increase the fee from $28 to $40, which will enable the state to hire an additional school bus inspector. As the change awaits approval from the office of the governor, state pupil transportation director Max Christensen tells SBF that “the increase is vitally important to keeping a viable school bus inspection process in the state of Iowa.”

The Heavy Duty Bus Parts division offers the LED lights in single and double contact bulbs, in addition to clearance light bulbs. The new lights were field-tested at Willis (Texas) Independent School District.

The provider of fleet telematics, remote diagnostics and mobile onboard computing will launch THE ZONE 2013 from May 14 to 16 in San Antonio. Officials say that the fleet management conference will offer renowned industry speakers covering strategic transportation topics.

The Spotline laser from Rotary Lift projects a green line directly in the center of the bay, and the technician can then center the line on the vehicle hood and dash while pulling in for accurate positioning. A retrofit kit that’s now available enables the Spotline to be compatible with most inground and surface lifts.

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